Wednesday's letters: Don't throw away hazardous materials
Disposing of hazardous household materials
As the summer of 2023 kicks off, WM would like to remind Sarasota County residents of what they can do to help prevent garbage and recycling truck and facility fires.
These fires are most often caused by the improper disposal of hazardous household materials and are dangerous for our drivers, local firefighters and the neighborhoods where these “hot loads” must be quickly managed.
Lithium-ion batteries, found in so many household products – including electronics, toys, small appliances, vape pens and even greeting cards – are sparking many of the truck fires and cannot be put in curbside garbage or recycling containers.
More: How to send a letter to the editor
Visit https://www.scgov.net/government/solid-waste/hazardous-waste to find a nearby household hazardous waste drop-off location for your lithium-ion and rechargeable batteries. Many retailers also accept these batteries.
WM offers these safety tips for the proper disposal of coals, paint and other household hazardous waste:
Cool coals for several days on the grill or in a metal container full of water. Then place in a metal container with a tight lid before placing in your trash container.
Take all flammable and hazardous materials to your hazardous waste drop-off location.
By following these simple tips, you can help protect WM drivers, trucks and facilities, and your neighborhood, from dangerous and costly fires.
Chris Carey, WM Florida area safety director, Boca Raton
Sign up again to vote by mail in 2024
Think you are all set to vote by mail in 2024?
You could be wrong. All registered voters in Florida must submit a new request to vote by mail each general election cycle.
That’s correct: Every two years you must sign up for mail-in voting again. In the past, your request lasted for two election cycles, that is, four years.
More: Appeals court supports Florida law with new restrictions on mail-in voting and voter registration
The good news: It’s very easy and can take less than two minutes to request a mail-in ballot.
For more information, call or go to your county supervisor of elections website.
Charlotte County: https://www.soecharlottecountyfl.gov/Voting-By-Mail/VBM-REQ-Module; 941-833-5400.
Sarasota County: https://www.sarasotavotes.gov/ql3; 941-861-8618.
Manatee County:
https://www.votemanatee.com/Vote-By-Mail-Early-Voting/Vote-By-Mail-Ballot-Request-Online; 941-3823.
After you register to vote by mail, you will receive an official ballot about one month before the election. This will give you time to research all the candidates and ballot initiatives before you cast your votes.
So, remember: Request to vote by mail now while it is on your mind.
Jacqueline Kerr, Punta Gorda
Is Scott 'hostile' to Social Security?
Republican Sen. Rick Scott recently issued a formal travel advisory for socialists visiting or living in Florida.
He warned that the state will be “openly hostile” toward socialists and their enablers.
More: Scott: Attempts to spread socialism in Florida will be 'rebuffed'
Social Security, of course, is socialism! Social Security was signed into law by Democratic President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on Aug. 14, 1935.
There are nearly 5 million Floridians who receive a monthly Social Security paycheck. Shockingly, some of them live in The Villages, a GOP stronghold in Central Florida.
It would be a shame to see the “Village People” openly "hostile-ized" simply because they are deviant socialists who receive a monthly Social Security deposit.
Doug McClaugherty, Sarasota
President DeSantis would face division
It is ironic that Gov. Ron DeSantis chose the anniversary of the Uvalde school shootings, May 24, to announce he is running for president of the United States. The moment was designed for shock and awe but it floundered totally.
However, we are in shock in terms of the drama DeSantis has created by signing a law that allows people to carry a concealed gun without a permit, supporting book bans and limiting education, making dictatorial changes at New College (a creative, academic haven), encouraging discrimination and limiting the influence of educational expertise.
The questions are: Can DeSantis bring us, the people of the USA, together? Can DeSantis bring more harmony in our democracy, which was built on diversity?
More: DeSantis' presidential announcement on Twitter plagued by technical problems
More: New College faculty votes to censure board of trustees
Diversity creates ingenuity and creativity in business, medicine, entertainment and more. Will DeSantis honor our diversity or will he dictate that we adhere to a narrow view of democracy?
The governor banned funding for diversity programs at all Florida colleges and universities. Is this what “we the people” in the “land of the free” want?
We need a president who will unite us and create a safer and kinder land of the free in the USA.
Joan C. Peters, Osprey
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Think before you throw: Dispose properly of hazardous materials
